Incident with N&W 475

[NW Mailing List]

No, that is not what blue flags are for. Blue flags are used when equipment (not track) is being actively worked on. A blue flag is place by the worker who needs to be protected and removed by that same worker. If there’s not someone actively working on the equipment, it should not be blue-flagged.

Track that is out of service is protected by other means such as track flags or lining and locking a switch away from the out of service track. But just because track work equipment is stored on a piece of track doesn’t mean it’s out of service.

But blue flags and track flags are not going to help you if the engineer is not looking at the track ahead.

-- 
Larry Stone
lstone19 at stonejongleux.com





> On Nov 7, 2022, at 6:27 AM, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> 
> OK guys, I need some “rules” help here. 
> I have been following this event & related posts & I am wondering why the track was not “blue flag protected”?  Isn’t it common practice that when a track is under repair, out of service, etc that a “blue flag device“  is placed ahead as a warning that the track is out of service? As a private entity is Strasburg Railroad exempt from this practice? I see these on Class-1’s all the time. 
> Thanks
> Herb Edwards 
> Lynchburg, Va 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Nov 7, 2022, at 8:04 AM, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> Yes, it is the locomotive crew who is responsible for the same operation of the locomotive and operating at a speed to be able to stop withing 1/2 of the sight distance of an obstruction on track or mis-alinged switch.  The track crew were contractors.  It is also the responsibility of the railroad supervisor to ensure that the contractor is following all of the rules and safety practices.  He should have verified that the switch was lined and locked for the main line.
>>  
>> Ken Borg
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